NTSB Says Greg Biffle Not Flying Before Fatal Cessna Crash

A preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report says Dennis Dutton was at the controls when the Cessna C550 crashed about a third of a mile (550 meters) from Statesville Regional Airport, and that Greg Biffle was not flying, according to the report.

The report says a thrust reverser indicator light did not work before takeoff and that the pilot's altimeter and other instruments were not working after takeoff, and investigators noted the cockpit voice recorder cut out at times, according to the NTSB.

Jeff Guzzetti, an aviation safety consultant who formerly investigated crashes for the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration, said the lack of a trained, properly endorsed copilot may have been a key factor in the accident.

The crash killed Greg Biffle, 55; pilot Dennis Dutton; his son Jack Dutton; Cristina Biffle; Ryder Biffle, 5; Emma Biffle, 14; and Craig Wadsworth, totaling seven fatalities, according to the NTSB.

NTSB investigators said they have only begun detailed analysis of flight data and the cockpit voice recorder and have not determined why the airplane came in so low and slow, with the investigation ongoing.